Machine-type communication (MTC) is a novel communication concept for effectively integrating various different types of communication techniques, e.g., machine-to-machine communication, machine-controlled communication, human-machine interaction, mobile interconnection and communication to promote developments in production and life style. It is estimated that in future, human-to-human communication service may only occupy one third of the terminal market while the majority of the communications is occupied by MTC communications services. MTC communications is sometimes referred to as machine-to-machine (M2M) communication or the Internet of things.
Current mobile communications networks are designed for human-to-human (H2H) communications, e.g., in aspects such as determining network capacity. Mobile communication systems should be optimized according to characteristics of MTC communications before being used for MTC communications so as to better support MTC communications while making no or little impact on conventional human-to-human communications.
Characteristics of MTC communication identified at the current stage may include:
MTC devices have low mobility;
the time of MTC devices performing data transmission with network side devices is controllable;
data transmission between an MTC network and network side devices does not have high real time requirements, i.e., has time tolerance;
MTC devices have limited battery capacity, require extremely low power consumption;
MTC devices only perform transmission of small data with network side devices;
MTC devices may be managed in unit of group;
. . .
A physical MTC device may have at least one of the above characteristics.
When managing communications of a large number of M2M users, users having the same service characteristics may be classified into one group and managed in unit of group to improve management efficiency. For example, a group of users may be notified to submit data report. Third generation partnership project (3GPP) is discussing a possible mechanism, according to which a services capability server (SCS) instructs a core network to initiate paging of users in the group. A radio access network (RAN) transmits paging information to an air interface. M2M users in the group initiate a random access process after receiving the paging information to establish a communication link with the network and transmit data required.
According to the currently discussed mechanism of managing the submitting of data reports in unit of group, in order to void the network being congested by random access requests initiated by a large number of users in a group after receiving the group paging, the system may solve the problem by randomizing the time of access or by allocating dedicated physical random access channel (PRACH) to the M2M users to minimize impact on the access of H2H users.
In universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), the core network transmits paging messages to a radio network controller (RNC) through a radio access network application part (RANAP) on the control plane via an lu interface (which is configured for exchanging signaling between the core network and the RNC). The scope of the paging is location area (LA)/routing area (RA). In long term evolution (LTE) systems, the core network transmits paging messages to an evolved NodeB (eNB, i.e., a base station) through an S1 application part (S1 AP) on the control plane of the S1 interface (the S1 interface provides connection between a radio network with the core network). The scope of the paging is tracking area (TA).